Steps for Performing a FMEA
The purpose of a FMEA is to define the ways in which a failure can occur as well as the causes and resulting effects of a failure on your system. Before you can build a FMEA, you must determine which FMEA standard and analysis method to use so that you know what type of data to gather. After you define the hierarchical structure that the FMEA is to analyze in the FMEA Tree Items table, you must insert failure modes, causes, and effects for these items. After this is accomplished, you can perform qualitative analysis on the supplied data.
This topic provides guidance on the steps you take to effectively and efficiently perform a FMEA in the FMEA module. In addition to supplying general instructions and descriptions, this topic references other topics where appropriate. These referenced topics typically describe how to perform the actions indicated.
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The actions in the following table are numbered to indicate that they are performed sequentially. For accurate analyses, you must complete these actions in the order in which they are listed.
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Action
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Description
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1. Create the Project, using the appropriate FMEA template. Then, define the hierarchical structure of the FMEA data.
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You can create a FMEA Project from any of the FMEA templates in the Samples folder on the Windchill Risk and Reliability application server. For more information, see Creating a Project Using the New Project Wizard. In the FMEA Design file, define the hierarchical structure of the FMEA data. If using the FMEA Fault Equivalence file, also select key fields and fault equivalence data fields. For more information, see FMEA Design Files.
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2. Create or modify the Mission Profile file if using one.
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The Mission Profile file is a singular support file that defines the mission phases of the system. It is used if failure modes have different effects in different mission phases. For more information about this file, which can also be used by the Prediction module, see Mission Profile Files.
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3. If using the FMEA Fault Equivalence file, add fault equivalence data.
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The FMEA Fault Equivalence file is a singular support file that stores the FMEA data to copy into the System file based on the matching of field values in as many as five key fields, which are specified in the FMEA Design file. For more information, see FMEA Fault Equivalence Files.
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4. If you want to insert modes from FMEA Modes Library files for a component FMEA, create and/or modify these files.
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When a component FMEA is inserted, you indicate whether enabled Modes Library files are to be searched for part matches and the failure modes for these parts copied into the FMEA. For more information, see FMEA Modes Library Files.
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5. Insert the FMEA. If it is a process or functional FMEA, define the structure to analyze in the FMEA Tree Items table.
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In the FMEA Table, insert the FMEA. You can insert a process, functional, or component FMEA. For more information, see Inserting a FMEA. If you insert a process or functional FMEA, in the FMEA Tree Items table, insert assemblies and parts to represent the hierarchical structure of the process or system function to analyze. Assemblies and parts are inserted in this tree in the same way that they are inserted in the system tree. For more information, see System Tree How-Tos.
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6. If you have the Prediction module licensed, for a component FMEA, calculate prediction results for the assemblies and parts in the FMEA Tree Items table.
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If you have the Prediction module licensed, you can calculate prediction results for a component FMEA. If you calculate prediction results prior to inserting a component FMEA, the failure rates calculated by the Prediction module are carried over to the component FMEA. If you do not have the Prediction module licensed, you must specify failure rates for the parts in the FMEA Tree pane.
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7. Insert and verify FMEA data.
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For each item in the FMEA Tree Items table, insert FMEA data in the FMEA Worksheet table. For more information, see FMEA How-Tos. You can use the FMEA roll up and building capabilities described in FMEA Roll Up and Building. Insertion and verification of FMEA data begins at the lowest level in the FMEA Tree Items table and progresses up through the hierarchy, one level at a time. After the top level of the system is reached, FMEA results can be calculated.
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8. Calculate FMEA results.
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After FMEA data has been inserted and verified for all data levels, calculate results. For more information, see FMEA Calculations.
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9. Generate FMEA reports and graphs.
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Generate FMEA reports and graphs. For more information, see FMEA Custom Graphs.
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